What are...



D

D.M. Procida

Guest
It's years since I was a teenager and knew stuff about bikes. I've just
got this thing in the garage that I ride to work. Having been reading
this newsgroup over the last couple of days I realise that everything
has changed...

So, what are:

biopace chainsets
u-brakes
disk wheels

There are more, but those will do to start with.

Daniele
--
Apple Juice Ltd
Chapter Arts Centre
Market Road www.apple-juice.co.uk
Cardiff CF5 1QE 029 2019 0140
 
On Mon, 02 Aug 2004 19:36:09 +0100, D.M. Procida wrote:

> It's years since I was a teenager and knew stuff about bikes. So, what are:
> biopace chainsets

These are the front chainrings(chainset) connected to the pedals,
which are usually round, but Biopace rings are oval/egg shaped.This was
supposedly to make the pedal stroke more efficient, but the benefits never
caught on, and the downsides did catch on, so they were dropped fairly
quickly, though there are still people around who swear by them.

> u-brakes

U-brakes are typically used on BMX bikes,similar to cantilever brakes of
years ago, but the arms are longer,go up, and cross each other, and are
then pulled up by the cable.Pic here:
http://www.extremesports.ltd.uk/bmx/bmx-brakes.htm

V-brakes? This is what is commonly used on all
but the cheapest mountain bikes now(of course, except the ones with disc
brakes).There are two arms about 3 inches long conected to the brake pads,
these rise vertically, and are pulled together by the cable.Pics here:
http://www.cyclesmart.co.uk/shop/index.php/product/shimano-cm/vbrakes-cm/

> disk wheels

Used mainly by time-triallers,and track racers, these are solid wheels,
hence they look like a disc.Usually used on the back only on the
road, and sometimes on both wheels on the track.Early ones were glass
fibre panels over the top of a normal wheel, modern ones are carbon fibre,
weigh nothing and cost £500+ each.

>There are more, but those will do to start with.

For all cycle related information, Sheldon Brown is the man:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/

Alan.

--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.
http://www.dvatc.co.uk - Off-road cycling in the North Midlands.
 
[email protected] (D.M. Procida)typed

> So, what are:

> biopace chainsets
Non-circular (elliptical) front chainwheels.
These were popular in the late 1980s and '90s but have mostly been
phased out/superceded.


> u-brakes

fairly rigid cantilever-type rim brakes. Feature on many contemprary
machines and are *very* efficient if well-maintained. You might want
these but be *very careful* when you first use them!

> disk wheels
Spokeless creations used by racers; you probably don't want these!

> There are more, but those will do to start with.

> Daniele

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email protected]
Edgware.
 
On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 19:36:09 +0100,
[email protected] (D.M. Procida) wrote:

>It's years since I was a teenager and knew stuff about bikes. I've just
>got this thing in the garage that I ride to work. Having been reading
>this newsgroup over the last couple of days I realise that everything
>has changed...
>
>So, what are:
>
>biopace chainsets

a blast from the past. If we're talking about the same thing, that is;
I remember biopace being oval chainrings that were supposed to even
out the force of pedalling. I'd assumed they'd stopped making the
things when everyone realised they were ****.

>u-brakes

no idea. if you're reading from a handwritten post, it could be
"v-brakes" written badly.

>disk wheels

equally, no idea. But then I just ride a bike. Some of the blokes and
blokesses here seem to be half man, half bike.

>There are more, but those will do to start with.
>
>Daniele
 
in message
<1ghv4o8.1mpeksejs0b16N%[email protected]>,
D.M. Procida ('[email protected]') wrote:

> It's years since I was a teenager and knew stuff about bikes. I've
> just got this thing in the garage that I ride to work. Having been
> reading this newsgroup over the last couple of days I realise that
> everything has changed...
>
> So, what are:
>
> biopace chainsets

'Biopace' are non-round chainrings produced by Shimano, intended to even
the torque through the pedalling stroke. With a circular chainring
there tends to be a bit around the point where the cranks are vertical
that you can't produce much torque - with is why full suspension bikes
suffer from bob. Never very popular and now no longer produced, but
Sheldon Brown liked 'em and so did I.

> u-brakes

A now obsolete form of cantilever brakes where the brake arms crossed
above the tyre instead of sticking out the sides. Replaced by V brakes,
which are essentially cantilever brakes where the brake arms are
perpendicular to the action of the brake shoe.

> disk wheels

Can mean two things. Probably where you see 'disk wheels' these days it
will mean wheels equipped with or built for disk brakes. However the
older usage of 'disk wheels' is wheels with aerodynamic shrouds (like
coolie hats) covering the spokes. The wheels visually appear to be
disks, although typically the shrouds are not load-bearing.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; making jokes about dyslexia isn't big, it isn't clever and
;; it isn't furry.
 
On Mon, 02 Aug 2004 20:04:30 +0100, in
<[email protected]>, "A.Lee"
<alan@darkroom.+.com> wrote:

>On Mon, 02 Aug 2004 19:36:09 +0100, D.M. Procida wrote:
>
>> It's years since I was a teenager and knew stuff about bikes. So, what are:
>> biopace chainsets
>
>These are the front chainrings(chainset) connected to the pedals,
>which are usually round, but Biopace rings are oval/egg shaped.This was
>supposedly to make the pedal stroke more efficient, but the benefits never
>caught on, and the downsides did catch on, so they were dropped fairly
>quickly, though there are still people around who swear by them.

There was something similar which I've read about too: Chainrings
which were also elliptical but with the major and minor axes at right
angles to those of biopace.

I think it was in Richard Ballantines book.

--
Boredband: High speed internet access with uninteresting content.
 
Richard Bates [email protected] opined the following...
> There was something similar which I've read about too: Chainrings
> which were also elliptical but with the major and minor axes at right
> angles to those of biopace.
>
> I think it was in Richard Ballantines book.

Highpath engineering sell ECG (EGG?) rings which are set so that the
axis can be adjusted by rotating them around the bolts. (Brain fart! I
can't seem to remember any terminology today!)

Jon
 
On Mon, 02 Aug 2004 21:55:55 +0100, Richard Bates wrote:

> On Mon, 02 Aug 2004 20:04:30 +0100, in
> <[email protected]>, "A.Lee"
> <alan@darkroom.+.com> wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 02 Aug 2004 19:36:09 +0100, D.M. Procida wrote:
>>
>>> It's years since I was a teenager and knew stuff about bikes. So, what are:
>>> biopace chainsets
>>
>>These are the front chainrings(chainset) connected to the pedals,
>>which are usually round, but Biopace rings are oval/egg shaped.This was
>>supposedly to make the pedal stroke more efficient, but the benefits never
>>caught on, and the downsides did catch on, so they were dropped fairly
>>quickly, though there are still people around who swear by them.
>
> There was something similar which I've read about too: Chainrings
> which were also elliptical but with the major and minor axes at right
> angles to those of biopace.
>
> I think it was in Richard Ballantines book.

Yes, there is a bloke still making them,in Wales IIRC who says that
Shimano got it wrong by putting the longer ends 90 degrees out.
Alan.

--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.
http://www.dvatc.co.uk - Off-road cycling in the North Midlands.
 
A.Lee wrote:

> Yes, there is a bloke still making them,in Wales IIRC who says that
> Shimano got it wrong by putting the longer ends 90 degrees out.

I tend to agree with him. Shimano's rings make you do more work (higher
gear, longer time) at TDC/BDC. I've not tried them, but that seems the
wrong way around.

--
Mark.
 
in message <[email protected]>, Mark Tranchant
('[email protected]') wrote:

> A.Lee wrote:
>
>> Yes, there is a bloke still making them,in Wales IIRC who says that
>> Shimano got it wrong by putting the longer ends 90 degrees out.
>
> I tend to agree with him. Shimano's rings make you do more work
> (higher gear, longer time) at TDC/BDC. I've not tried them, but that
> seems the wrong way around.

I've tried them, I used them for years, they work (well). But probably
not as well as really spinning.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Wise man with foot in mouth use opportunity to clean toes.
;; the Worlock
 
>So, what are:
>
>biopace chainsets

I have one of these on my fifteen year-old hybrid. Slightly oval chainrings.
Apparently to even out pedalling action. Can't say I notice any benefit or
disadvantage as compared to "normal" chainrings. To me, seems like a bit of a
gimmick.

>u-brakes

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_u-v.html#ubrake

>disk wheels

Often used in time trials. See
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_d.html#discwheel

My son has one for use on the rear of his time trial bike, and a trispoke wheel
for use on the front. See
http://www.hedwheels.com/disc.html
http://www.hedwheels.com/h3_front.html

Hope this helps.

Cheers, helen s


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dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers wrote:

>>biopace chainsets

> I have one of these on my fifteen year-old hybrid. Slightly oval chainrings.
> Apparently to even out pedalling action. Can't say I notice any benefit or
> disadvantage as compared to "normal" chainrings. To me, seems like a bit of a
> gimmick.

They arrived late 80s, and were the Big New Thing. They've since more
or less disappeared without much trace, so the market in general, from
professionals down, seemed to agree with the above assessment.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
"D.M. Procida" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
news:1ghv4o8.1mpeksejs0b16N%[email protected]...
> It's years since I was a teenager and knew stuff about bikes. I've just
> got this thing in the garage that I ride to work. Having been reading
> this newsgroup over the last couple of days I realise that everything
> has changed...
>
> So, what are:
>
> biopace chainsets
Outdated and discredited technology that's really only worth knowing about
so you can avoid

> u-brakes
Outdated and discredited technology that's really only worth knowing about
so you can avoid

> disk wheels
Outdated and discredited technology that's really only worth knowing about
so you can avoid(unless you're into time trialling where they're state of
the art)

HTH :)
Russ
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'having seen the other actually helpful replies'
 
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